Before the Dead is by no means an ordinary musical release. This collection of early, and quite-remarkable-they-exist-at-all recordings is a phenomenal delight for many reasons, ones so obvious to any Deadhead I will pay you the respect of not listing them. And yes, the many reasons for which we have all been eagerly awaiting this release are exciting enough within themselves, yet it is the overall palpable essence and holistic sensation that arose in the listening that snuck up on me, as if falling down a rabbit hole, where the history of Jerry and the Grateful Dead becomes the story of how each of us, and all of us, have become who we are. Jerry will never be more accessible than he is here—he is Jerry before he is JERRY; he is a friend sitting in our living room playing music; we are down at the coffeehouse together, meeting up with other friends, slurping joe and jammin’ on the scene.

In 2002 Sum 41 released their career-defining LP “Does This Look Infected?” and took the world by storm. The merit of this album is widely celebrated, as you would be hard-pressed to find a fan of the genre who couldn’t give you a “Sum 41 Salute” without missing a beat.

Rock guitar legends Dave Navarro and Billy Morrison assembled a small army of some of their most iconic rock acquaintances for a benefit concert at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, April 16. The pair organized the Above Ground concert to raise funds and awareness for MusiCares foundation, which provides support and community services to musicians in need of medical, personal & financial assistance.

During the middle of his headlining set at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on Thursday night, Dave Davies dedicated a song to "My brother Raymond" which included the lyrics "In my heart I'm just a boy, just a boy, just a boy." This is from his latest release, last year's "Open Road," a collaboration with Dave's son Russ Davies.

Fresh off the release of their Shapeshifter 1: Construct EP and riding a train hell-bent on metamorphosis, New York’s mesmerizing instrumental quartet TAUK took over Denver’s Ogden Theatre this past weekend, showcasing their unique ability to blend elements of jazz, rock, and funk to captivate the minds of audiences across the country.

Delivering a compelling foot-stomping performance that was equal parts hootenanny and joyful revival, The Avett Brothers again conquered Sacramento on March 30. The sold-out crowd of 2,400 at the downtown Community Center Theatre was on its feet most of the night, reveling in the experience, singing along with myriad lyric phrases that resonated personally with fans.

About two years ago, I heard my first BIG Something song. It was an unforgettable moment when the song “Undertow” played on the radio station “Jam On,” on Sirius XM. I remember thinking they were going to become something big. From then on, my obsession with this unique funk, rock, jam group grew tremendously.

The show wasn’t billed as “An Evening with Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams," but that’s exactly what Saturday’s show at Boston’s City Winery was – no opening act and an intimate show full of stories, explanations of how songs came about, and of course wonderful music.